La Cimade

What La Cimade does

La Cimade is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 1939 that supports refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers across France. Its service portfolio comprises legal aid via Permanences Juridiques, French-language sociolinguistic workshops delivered in 34 cities across 13+ regions (serving 2,500+ beneficiaries annually), housing through the CADA Béziers (90-person asylum-seeker reception center) and CPH Massy (80+ refugees from 30 nationalities plus 40+ in dispersed apartments), psychological support via the Centre Frantz Fanon (inaugurated November 2016), field intervention with Roma communities in bidonvilles in Montpellier (since 2015), and the annual Migrant'scène advocacy festival (since 2013).

The operating model is community-led, combining salaried staff with an extensive volunteer network, and is funded through a mix of individual donations, membership fees, public grants (including FSE+ EU co-financing awarded February 2024), state contracts for CADA/CPH operations, and an e-commerce boutique selling militant merchandise. Technology is limited to a public-facing website, donation and membership infrastructure, and the merchandise store; there is no proprietary platform, software product, or AI/ML capability described in the available data. Its core competencies are institutional credibility, regulatory designation as a state-recognized reception operator, and a national service footprint, with no disclosed financial statements available for revenue or cost analysis.

Name

La Cimade

Legal name

La Cimade

Website

https://lacimade.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Short description

La Cimade is a French non-profit association founded in 1939 that delivers legal aid, language training, housing, mental health, and advocacy services for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers across 34 cities in 13+ French regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI), Immigration Support Services (Translations, Certified Copies, Biometrics, Medicals) (THACAKAH)

Keywords

• Migrant rights advocacy
• Asylum legal support
• Refugee resettlement services
• Human rights nonprofit
• Immigration assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters, with suggested amounts of 10€, 20€, 30€, or 50€.
2. Membership fees: Annual membership subscriptions from supporters joining the association.
3. Product sales: Sale of militant merchandise, publications, calendars, and solidarity products through the online boutique.
4. Public funding for accommodation centers: State funding to operate CADA (Centre d'Accueil pour Demandeurs d'Asile) and CPH (Centre Provisoire d'Hébergement) facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

La Cimade provides free legal counsel and administrative support to foreigners, asylum seekers, and refugees in France, including help with residence permits, asylum applications, regularization, and family reunification. It also operates state-funded accommodation centers (CADA and CPH) and delivers French language workshops, psychosocial support, and awareness/advocacy campaigns defending migrant rights.

Product overview

La Cimade is a French human rights organization (association loi 1901) that provides a portfolio of integrated services for migrants and refugees. The core offerings include legal counsel services (Permanences Juridiques) for administrative support, French language workshops (Ateliers Sociolinguistiques) in 34 cities, and housing services through CADA Béziers (90-person asylum seeker reception center) and CPH Massy (refugee accommodation for 80+ refugees). Supporting activities include the Festival Migrant'scène annual cultural event, sensitization resource center with educational tools, Centre Frantz Fanon mental health services for exiles, and Action Bidonvilles social support in Montpellier. The organization also operates Boutique La Cimade as an e-commerce platform for activist merchandise and publications, and produces annual activity reports. All services work together to provide holistic support from arrival through integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Migrant'scène: An annual festival organized by La Cimade, typically held from mid-November to early December, featuring film screenings, exhibitions, cultural events, and awareness activities about migration issues.

Products and services

• Permanences Juridiques (Legal Counsel Services)

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre Frantz FanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health care center co-developed with Médecins du Monde and other CADA organizations (L'Adage, La Clède, L'Espélido, Groupe SOS) to provide psychological support for exiled people in Occitanie region. Includes care center and resource center for professionals.
• CNDH RomeuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Cimade is a founding member and board member of the CNDH Romeurope collective, which brings together 45 associations supporting the rights of Roma people living in precarious conditions. La Cimade has had a dedicated team since 2015 supporting slum dwellers in Montpellier.
• ESAT Louis JaffrinminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSocial enterprise employing disabled workers in Lyon, chosen by La Cimade for shipping solidarity products from their boutique.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Emmaüs France: French federation of Emmaüs organizations supporting people in poverty and social exclusion, including migrants and refugees. Provides housing, integration support, and advocacy with comparable decentralized volunteer-driven model and national scope.
• France Terre d'Asile: Major French NGO dedicated to refugee and asylum-seeker support, operating CADA facilities and providing legal aid across France. Directly comparable service portfolio (accommodation, legal counsel, integration) competing for the same state contracts and donor base as La Cimade.
• Forum Réfugiés: French association (formerly COSI) operating in Lyon providing legal aid, asylum support, and integration services for refugees. Directly comparable in mission and geographic focus, with similar funding mix of state contracts and donations.
• Médecins du Monde: French humanitarian organization providing healthcare and social support to vulnerable populations including migrants and refugees. Co-develops Centre Frantz Fanon with La Cimade, making it a closely-aligned operational partner with overlapping service lines in legal/social support for migrants.
• GISTI (Groupe d'Information et de Soutien des Immigrés): French association specialized in legal aid and information for immigrants, focused on residence rights and administrative procedures. Directly comparable to La Cimade's Permanences Juridiques with similar legal-advocacy mandate and donor base.
• SOS Racisme: French anti-discrimination NGO focused on combating racism and supporting victims, including foreign nationals facing administrative issues. Overlapping advocacy and legal support mandate with comparable grassroots volunteer network.
• Secours Catholique (Caritas France): Large French Catholic charity providing support to people in precarious situations including migrants and refugees. Overlapping service lines in social support, accommodation referrals, and integration assistance with national coverage comparable to La Cimade.
• CIMADE International (cross-reference): International Cimade is the historical umbrella of La Cimade's international advocacy work. Strong operational overlap with La Cimade's Europe et International action line and shared historical mission since 1939.

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge française: Major French humanitarian organization providing broad social services including migrant support, accommodation, and integration programs. Larger and more diversified than La Cimade but operates overlapping services for vulnerable populations.
• Amnesty International France: French section of international human rights organization with active migrant rights advocacy and detention monitoring work. Overlapping advocacy and awareness mandate with comparable Migrant'scène-style cultural engagement activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lacimade
• Facebookfacebook.com/lacimade
• Instagraminstagram.com/la_cimade
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-cimade

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Cimade